The Journal - Loring Parkhttp://www.journalmpls.com/tag-topics/loring-park
enLoring Park cattail removal beginshttp://www.journalmpls.com/news/parks/loring-park-cattail-removal-begins
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<span class="field-slideshow-caption-text">Cattails blanketing Loring Pond</span>
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<span class="field-slideshow-credit-text">Ben Johnson</span>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ben Johnson</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>An ambitious effort to eradicate the invasive cattails blanketing much of Loring Pond has begun.</p>
<p>On Oct. 7 workers from Applied Ecological Services (AES) started hacking down cattails nearest to the shore with a saw attached to the front of an excavator.</p>
<p>“They are trying out some different equipment they haven’t used before, so they’re making some adjustments out in the field, but it looks like they’re making good progress,” said Deb Pilger, the Park Board’s director of environmental management. Park Board policy prohibits contractors from speaking directly with the press.</p>
<p>AES had to bring out ‘swamp mats’ – portable platforms that allow excavators to maneuver without getting stuck in the mud – to reach cattails further out in the pond. Eventually blades attached to small boats may be used to reach the cattails in the deepest reaches of the pond.</p>
<p>Pilger said it should take several weeks for AES to chop all of the cattails, and then several more weeks to rake them to the shore and haul them off to a composting facility. Work is scheduled to wrap up by the end of November.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/images/articles/10/20/2014/15Oct2014_LoringCuttingMachine.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480" class="inline_image" /></p>
<p><em>The machine used to chop down the Loring Park cattails -- photo courtesy of Minneapolis Park Board</em></p>
<p>Next spring the Park Board will go back out to Loring Pond and perform some combination of cutting, hand-pulling and herbicide application to stymie any new cattail growth, and over the summer it will plant native emergent vegetation in its place.</p>
<p>The following spring more planting of native species will continue along the shoreline to act as a buffer against resurgent cattails.</p>
<p>District 4 Commissioner Anita Tabb used $56,000 of her district’s discretionary funds to pay for the work this fall. Pilger estimated work next year would cost $250,000, which still has to be approved by the board.</p>
<p>In years past attempts to rid Loring Pond of cattails were limited by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which would not permit the removal of all of Loring’s cattails at once.</p>
<p>Last legislative session state Rep. Frank Hornstein and Sen. Scott Dibble sponsored a small provision in the state’s omnibus game and fish bill that explicitly directed the DNR to permit complete removal of cattails from Loring Pond.</p>
</div></div></div>Mon, 20 Oct 2014 21:03:21 +0000Ben Johnson23823 at http://www.journalmpls.comhttp://www.journalmpls.com/news/parks/loring-park-cattail-removal-begins#commentsNow Open: The Third Birdhttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/now-open-the-third-bird
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ben Johnson</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Local restaurateur Kim Bartmann opened her latest concept, The Third Bird, in the former home of Café Maude on Aug. 19.</p>
<p>The renovated space pairs a laid-back, coffee shop vibe with an upscale menu and extensive wine list in an attempt to establish itself as a dependable neighborhood hangout.</p>
<p>“It’s a casual, neighborhood restaurant with really good food,” said head chef Lucas Almendinger, who previously ran the well-reviewed but short-lived Union Fish Market.</p>
<p>The food, artfully plated by Almendinger, uses produce from Bartmann’s Tiny Diner farm and will frequently change with the seasons.</p>
<p>“The first couple months it won’t change quite as quickly as we still are getting our feet under us, but once the machine is up and running smoothly there will be small or even major menu changes as we see fit about every two, three weeks,” he said.</p>
<p>A beautiful, long, circular wooden bar dominates the back of room, which looks out at Loring Park through tall, brand-new windows. Bartmann got into <a href="http://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/kim-bartmann-may-open-new-restaurant-in-loring-park">a bit of a dispute</a> with the Historic Planning Commission in trying to replace the windows, but eventually a compromise was found.</p>
<p>The entrance can be a little tricky to find. Instead of coming in from the Loring Park side of the restaurant, it’s in the alley out back, but the initial confusion caused by coming in the back does reduce traffic in front of the nice view.</p>
<p>This is Bartmann’s eighth restaurant. She also owns Bryant Lake Bowl, Pat’s Tap, Red Stag Supper Club, Cafe Barbette, Gigi’s Café, Bread and Pickle and Tiny Diner.</p>
<p>The Third Bird offers a brunch, lunch and dinner menu, and there's mezzanine seating available for large groups. During the week it’s open 11 a.m.-2 a.m., and on weekends 9 a.m.-2 a.m. Happy hour is Monday-Friday 3-6 p.m., where all taps, cocktails and glasses of wine are $2 off.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/images/articles/08/26/2014/ThirdBIrdbar.JPG" alt="" width="640" height="427" class="inline_image" /></p>
<p><em>The Third Bird bar -- photo by Ben Johnson</em></p>
<p><strong>(BELOW: An interactive map of recent business openings in Journal land.) </strong></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-video field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><iframe src="//s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.knightlab.com/libs/storymapjs/latest/embed/index.html?url=https://84299cda11b84a8fff5acee551c06a367f6d0572.googledrive.com/host/0B-uQO-Le9XnKbzVWZGtfXzNuWnM/published.json" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="800"></iframe></div></div></div>Tue, 26 Aug 2014 21:11:04 +0000Ben Johnson23502 at http://www.journalmpls.comhttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/now-open-the-third-bird#commentsChipotle bringing free food and music festival to Loring Park in Augusthttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/chipotle-bringing-free-food-and-music-festival-to-loring-park-in-august
<div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ben Johnson</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Chipotle is planning a free all-day festival in Loring Park on August 23.</p>
<p>Minneapolis is one of three cities chosen this year to host the popular burrito restaurant chain’s Cultivate Festival, which will feature five live bands, cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs, and locally-made food and beer.</p>
<p>The local chefs involved are Andrew Zimmern (“Bizarre Foods America”); Jamie Malone (Sea Change); Jack Riebel (formerly of Butcher and the Boar); Erik Anderson (formerly of Catbird Seat); and Paul Berglund (Bachelor Farmer).</p>
<p>The music lineup has Portugal. The Man, Grouplove, The Mowgli’s, Vintage Trouble, and Hunter Hunted.</p>
<p>The Cultivate Festival debuted in Chicago in 2011 and has also been held in Denver and San Francisco. This year it’s back in San Francisco along with new locations in Minneapolis and Dallas–Fort Worth.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-video field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wxAzlHmeYdE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></div>Mon, 07 Apr 2014 22:11:41 +0000Ben Johnson22697 at http://www.journalmpls.comhttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/chipotle-bringing-free-food-and-music-festival-to-loring-park-in-august#commentsLPM Apartments holds topping off ceremony, could open by Mayhttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/lpm-apartments-holds-topping-off-ceremony-could-open-by-may
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<span class="field-slideshow-caption-text">The LPM Apartments are ahead of its construction schedule and could open by May</span>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ben Johnson</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Nearly all of the concrete has been poured in the 36-story LPM Apartments project in Loring Park, and the building could see its first tenents in May.</p>
<p>Executives from Magellan Development Group, the Chicago-based developer which owns the building, and officials from several of the construction companies working on the project were on hand to witness the topping off ceremony Dec. 10. A topping off ceremony is a Scandinavian tradition in which an evergreen tree is hoisted to the top floor of a building once that floor has been completed. Topping off is supposed to signify growth and bring good luck to the building.</p>
<p>Ground was broken on the 354-unit luxury apartment complex in October of 2012, and crews began building vertically last March, raising the tower an average of two and a half feet per day.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/images/articles/12/10/2013/IMG_4778.JPG" alt="" width="640" height="427" class="inline_image" /></p>
<p>Eventually it will contain 29 studio, 263 one-bedroom, 61 two-bedroom and a single three-bedroom apartment. The structure is the tallest residential building currently under construction in Minneapolis, offering impressive views of the Minneapolis skyline.</p>
<p>"We were looking to do something a little different than what everyone else is doing [in Minneapolis]," said Dave Carlins, president of Magellan. "We were trying for a contemperary, yet respectful exterior with a shape that maximizes views."</p>
<p>Rent is expected to range from $2 to $3 per square foot. A fitness center, a private dog excercise and grooming facility, a splash pool, a business center and fire pits highlight LPM's luxury amenities. Overall more than 40,000 square feet of the project's 600,000 total square feet is dedicated to amenities. There will also be more than 20,000 square feet of retail space.</p>
<p>Carlins said a leasing office will open in late January and hopes construction will be completed by May.</p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 11 Dec 2013 01:21:50 +0000Ben Johnson22076 at http://www.journalmpls.comhttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/lpm-apartments-holds-topping-off-ceremony-could-open-by-may#commentsLeading the way on LEEDhttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/leading-the-way-on-leed
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Sarah McKenzie</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Two downtown neighborhoods have ambitious goals to become more sustainable</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p>
<p>Community leaders are exploring ways to make two downtown neighborhoods LEED certified.</p>
<p>LEED, which stands for Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design, is typically something new buildings apply for to demonstrate their commitment to green practices.</p>
<p>Now entire neighborhoods can earn the special LEED designation, and there are efforts underway to have Loring Park and the neighborhood surrounding the new Vikings stadium go through the certification process.</p>
<p>A neighborhood that achieves a <a href="http://new.usgbc.org/leed/rating-systems/neighborhoods" target="_self">LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND)</a> designation is walkable, has ample open space, a variety of transportation options, a variety of housing types and green buildings and infrastructure.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sustology.com/" target="_self">Sustology</a>, a Minneapolis-based consulting firm that promotes sustainable practices, is leading the campaign to make new development around the new Vikings stadium LEED-ND.</p>
<p>“It’s such an opportunity,” said Craig Wilson, principal and CEO of Sustology. “It would really put Minneapolis on the map.”</p>
<p>Wilson pointed to other sustainability parks around the country as something Minneapolis leaders should rally behind. Denver and Houston, for instance, have created parks to showcase sustainability innovations.</p>
<p>Sustology’s vision for the stadium district has been endorsed by the neighborhood groups Elliot Park Neighborhood Inc. (EPNI) and the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association, as well as the East Downtown Council.</p>
<p>David Fields, community development coordinator for EPNI and a member of the Vikings stadium implementation committee, said Elliot Park and other areas on the east side of downtown already has many strong features that would help it achieve the LEED designation.</p>
<p> “This is because LEED-ND is about more than just design and building practices,” he said. “It also includes categories for achieving and sustaining economic and social equity within the community. So, Elliot Park has always intended to foster new development that, taking into account the unique characteristics of our community, would promote many of the goals of LEED-ND.” </p>
<p>David Wilson, managing director for Accenture and co-chair of the stadium implementation committee, said the committee has outlined a vision that calls on the stadium neighborhood to meet LEED standards.</p>
<p>“The key question I have is what the additional costs are for LEED ND certification — both from a development perspective and from a consulting/certification perspective,” he said.</p>
<p>Wilson of Sustology said they are going to conduct a study to try to determine the costs of going through the certification process.</p>
<p>He said some people have misconceptions that the process is cumbersome and too costly.</p>
<p>“There’s a myth that it’s expensive because people look at the upfront costs and not the return on investment,” he said.</p>
<p>He pointed to Marquette Plaza as an example of a building that has gone through a sustainability makeover and now saves money on energy costs and uses far less water. It’s the first LEED Platinum building in Minneapolis.</p>
<p>As for improving the area around the Vikings stadium, Wilson said there needs to be stronger connections between Elliot Park and the riverfront, improvements to make the streets more walkable and major investments in infrastructure to manage stormwater.</p>
<p>The neighborhood group <a href="http://loringpark.org/" target="_self">Citizens for a Loring Park Community (CLPC) </a>is also pursuing LEED-ND certification as part of its master planning process.</p>
<p>A draft of the master plan is now going through a 45-day public review process. The Minneapolis Planning Commission is expected to review the plan the end of June. </p>
<p>Highlights of the plan include protecting the historic character of Loring Hill, creating a safer and revitalized Nicollet Avenue, greening and revitalizing Harmon Place, making pedestrian infrastructure improvements through the neighborhood and making Loring Park a LEED-certified neighborhood.</p>
<p>Loring Park already has many things going for it when it comes to sustainability. It’s diverse, walkable, has ample green space and a variety of transportation options.</p>
<p>Its weakness, however, is older buildings that aren’t as energy efficient as they could be. That will be the focus area as the neighborhood moves forward with the certification process, said John Van Heel, chair of the neighborhood’s master plan committee.</p>
<p>The neighborhood could also do a better job of wetland conservation in Loring Park and reducing surface parking — an issue throughout downtown.</p>
<p>No Minneapolis neighborhoods have achieved LEED-ND certification to date. Excelsior &amp; Grand, a roughly 15-acre mixed used development in St. Louis Park, was the first neighborhood in the Midwest to complete the certification process.</p>
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</div></div></div>Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:33:00 +0000Sarah McKenzie20244 at http://www.journalmpls.comhttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/leading-the-way-on-leed#commentsTransforming the workplace into a Blue Zone http://www.journalmpls.com/news/news/transforming-the-workplace-into-a-blue-zone
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Sarah McKenzie</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Dan Buettner is helping a Loring Park company add years to the life of its employees</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Bestselling author and explorer Dan Buettner has traveled the globe studying the habits of the happiest and healthiest people.</p>
<p>These regions are known as Blue Zones — areas where people are 10 times more likely to reach the age of 100 than people in the United States. Buettner, his colleagues from National Geographic and other longevity researchers have identified Blue Zones in Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Loma Linda, Calif.; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Ikaria, Greece.</p>
<p>Now Buettner is helping a company in Loring Park apply Blue Zone principles to their workplace to foster a healthier and happier culture.</p>
<p>Salo, a fast-growing staffing agency, is working on becoming the first Blue Zones certified workplace in the country. It has a goal of adding 1,000 years to the “active” life expectancy of its employees by the end of the six-month certification process. “Active” years refer to ones people enjoy without being burdened with chronic diseases.</p>
<p>The company has 207 employees participating in the Blue Zone project, said Gwen Martin, co-founder and managing partner of NumberWorks, a Salo brand.</p>
<p>Martin said the company is tracking how the investment in the project will impact the company’s bottom line by looking at the impact on health care claims, revenue, profitability. They are also measuring how the initiative is helping boost Salo’s influence on social media platforms.</p>
<p>“[Salo employees] are nudged into constant movement and more socialization,” said Buettner, who has an office in the North Loop neighborhood. “They are involved in committed social networks. The quality of relationships transcends just work and expands into a more meaningful realm so you know your co-worker not just as a co-worker but as a human.”</p>
<p>As part of the Blue Zone program, Salo now has 21 active moais — a common practice in Okinawa where people have a small group of companions they can rely on for support and inspiration. It’s based on the idea that your peers have a tremendous impact on your lifestyle habits, so if you’re surrounded by healthy people you’re more likely to make better choices.</p>
<p>When Salo first launched the Blue Zone program Sept. 20, employees took online assessments to determine their life expectancy and happiness levels. The average life expectancy was 88, but the healthy life expectancy was only 72 — meaning most Salo employees would likely face diseases that would limit their quality of life if they didn’t change their habits.</p>
<p>At the beginning of the program, 90 percent of the Salo employees were not eating the daily recommended amount of vegetables, 87 percent were eating fast food at least once a week, nearly 40 percent were sedentary and nearly half of the participants slept less than seven hours per night. The overall happiness grade for the group was a B.</p>
<p>Employees have the option of using treadmill desks at work and some have desks with adjustable heights that allow them to sit or stand. There’s a meditation room for relaxation, and they have had a cooking lesson offering tips on making flavorful, plant-based meals. Soon, Salo employees will go through a “purpose” workshop designed to help them connect to their passions outside of work.</p>
<p>Salo co-founder John Folkestad said he’s made fewer stops at fastfood since starting the Blue Zone project.</p>
<p>“Most people have made subtle changes,” he said, adding the company is focused on helping people make long-term lifestyle changes. “We’re not giving out baskets of kale. We’re not looking to be draconian. … We’re doing this to create a structure so we can all be healthy.”</p>
<p>Amy Langer, also a Salo co-founder, said sweets are still allowed at company parties.</p>
<p>“It doesn’t feel right to take the cake away, but we have other options. We also have bowls of fruit,” she said.</p>
<p>Buettner said Salo employees are starting to see results from their lifestyle changes.</p>
<p>“We’re already seeing well being and life expectancy increase with the employees there,” he said. “There’s a culture and developing reputation at Salo as a place that puts the wellbeing of its employees and partners in front of just profits. That’s a reputation that will transcend our time with them.”</p>
<p>The next company lined up go through the Blue Zone certification process is Google in Mountain View, Calif. KARE 11 has also expressed interest in going through the certification process, Buettner said.</p>
<p>Salo executives and Buettner declined to say how much the certification process costs.</p>
<p>“It’s an investment in employees and the reputation of the culture,” Buettner said. “It pays off we believe in higher worker engagement, lower healthcare costs, higher productivity and lower absenteeism.”</p>
<p>Buettner has also applied the Blue Zone principles to cities, including Albert Lea, Minn. Since launching the pilot project in 2009, the city has added more walking, jogging and bike paths; increased rates of volunteerism; improved nutrition in the schools; and expanded tobacco-free worksites and housing facilities, among other things.</p>
<p>Buettner called Salo an “early adopter” among companies committed to health and wellness.</p>
<p>“They have set the bar for other companies to aspire to,” he said.</p>
<p>FYI …</p>
<p>— For more information on Salo, go to <a href="http://www.salollc.com">salollc.com</a>.</p>
<p>— To learn more about Dan Buettner and Blue Zones, go to <a href="http://www.bluezones.com">bluezones.com</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Blue Zone Power 9</p>
<p>(Common habits of people living in Blue Zones around the world)</p>
<p>— They move naturally.</p>
<p>— They have a sense of purpose.</p>
<p>— They take time to down shift/relax.</p>
<p>— The eat until they feel about 80 percent full.</p>
<p>— They eat a plant-based diet.</p>
<p>— They drink a moderate amount of alcohol (typically red wine).</p>
<p>— They have a sense of belonging and connection to a faith-based community.</p>
<p>— They put their loved ones first.</p>
<p>— They have social circles with people that have healthy habits.</p>
<p> </p>
</div></div></div>Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:41:54 +0000Sarah McKenzie18640 at http://www.journalmpls.comhttp://www.journalmpls.com/news/news/transforming-the-workplace-into-a-blue-zone#comments